A weekly report on happenings in Missouri’s state government. Aside from noting actions of locally-elected officials Rep. Nate Walker (R-003), Rep. Craig Redmon (R-004) and Sen. Brian Munzlinger (R-18), this is a summary of important bills and votes from the Missouri House and Senate.

Tracking Walker

Rep. Walker is co-sponsoring legislation (HJR19) that would place a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 2014 ballot. The amendment, aimed prohibiting the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that all citizens have health insurance, would guarantee “liberty inherent in each citizen includes autonomy in decisions regarding lawful health care-related services or products” while simultaneously allowing the Mo. general assembly to “establish statutes which prohibit certain dangerous health care services” among other legislative actions.

Tracking Redmon

Rep. Redmon co-sponsored HB379, which would allow individuals applying for a conceal carry permit to have fingerprint background checks be performed anonymously, with a tracking number assigned to the report in place of their name. Sheriff’s offices would be allowed to charge an additional fee for the anonymous report processing.

Tracking Munzlinger

Sen. Munzlinger sponsored SB231, which would repeal power the Department of Health and Senior Services. Currently, health care providers submit claims to the department requesting setoffs of income tax refunds to satisfy debts owed by taxpayers. The bill would remove that authority from the department and create a “private claim clearinghouse” for ambulance service providers to submit claims.

Introduced this week: Senate

SB238: Would prohibit employers from requiring employees to join or refrain from joining a labor organization, making such action by an employer a class C misdemeanor.

SB247: Would abolish the death penalty as a punishment for first-degree murder and would give anyone sentenced to death before Aug. 28, 2013, a life sentence without the possibility for parole.

Introduced this week: House

HJR18: Proposes a Nov. 2014 vote on a Constitutional Amendment to change term limits in the Missouri legislature. Currently, lawmakers can serve no more than eight years in each chamber, and not more than 16 years combined. HJR18 would amend the Missouri Constitution to allow for all 16 years of the maximum service to be in one chamber.

HB357: Would eliminate certain sections of Mo. Revised Statute 105.510 and thus allow police officers, deputy sheriffs, highway patrolmen, and teachers of public schools, colleges and universities to form and join labor organizations to engage in collective bargaining.

HB386: Would ban abortions sought due to gender or genetic abnormalities.

Page 2 of 2 - HB394: Would make texting and driving illegal for drivers of all ages in Missouri, unless the device’s voice-recognition/hands-free technology is being utilized.

That’s what they call governing

HB340: Known as the “Daylight Saving Time Elimination Pact” the bill aims to exempt Missouri from participating in Daylight Saving Time. It includes a provision that specifies when at least 20 states have passed such legislation, each state will switch clocks to what had been Daylight Saving Time and never change them again.

Vote of the week

The Missouri Senate approved Friday, by a vote of 28-4 (Sen. Munzlinger voted in favor), a bill (SB10) that would allow up to $3 million a year in tax credits aimed at bringing amateur sports events like the NCAA Final Four or Olympic qualifiers to Missouri cities.

The bill will be offered to the House.

What’s next

SB16, which is sponsored by Sen. Munzlinger and exempts farm work by children under age 16 from certain child labor requirements, has passed through the Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resource Committee.

It is scheduled to be added to the consent calendar on Monday, and could earn Senate approval by the end of the week.

Following HB110

The fast-tracked House bill that would change how statewide office vacancies are filled was scheduled for a second reading in the Senate every day in the last week, but never got there.

HB110 is on the Senate calendar again on Monday, still seeking a second reading.

HB 110 would allow the governor to make an appointment, but that appointee would serve only until the next General Election and would not be eligible to seek election to that office.

Rep. Walker’s bill extending expiration dates on certain closed records through 2016 was referred to the House Committee on Laws Thursday. It is one of several bills aimed at security procedures that became part of public record when a provision to close those records sunset on Dec. 31, 2012.

While Rep. Walker’s bill seeks to change the sunset date to 2016, another bill, HB332, was filed last week and attempts to strike the sunset provision, which would close the records forever.

Have a bill you’d like us to track? Contact us at dailyexpresseditor@gmail.com.